Emergency running-gear for vehicles.



R. F. MEINERS. EMERGENCY RUNNING GEAR FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION HLEDNOV. 15. 19:3.

1,163,354. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

l/VVE/V 70/? RUDOLPH If ME/NE/PS A TTORIVEYS RUDOLPH r; mnmnns, orBooNron, new JERSEY.

. EMERGENCY RUNNING-GEABFOB VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application filed November 15, 1913. Serial No. 801,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH F. MEINERS,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boonton, county ofMorris, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Emergency Running- Gear for Vehicles, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to emergency running gear for vehicles and has'forits object to provide a device of this type which may be readily carriedabout in thevehicle without inconvenience so as to be always availablefor use.

A further object of my improvement is to provide an emergency runninggear which in an emergency such as the breaking or damaging of an axleor a wheel, may be quickly and easily attached in operative position onthe vehicle to permitthe said vehicle to be readily .propelled to itsdestination or to a repair shop, Without discom fort to the occupantsand with a minimum of strain upon the vehicle itself.

My invention will be fully described hereinaften and the features ofnovelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 isa side elevation of an automobile with my invention attached thereto;Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of one form of my emergency runninggear; Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof; Fig. 4; is a view similar to Fig. 2' of another form of said emergency running gear and Fig. 5 is asectional view thereof on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4..

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings my improved device comprises asubstantially U-shaped member 10, the legs of which are provided withflanges 11 having their upper surfaces preferably curved as indicated at12. A wheel 13 of any desired type is journaled in aforked member 14 torotate about an axle 15, the forked member 14: depending from the member10 and being either made as an integral part thereof or rigidly securedthereto.

In the form of my improvement illustratedin Figs. 4 and 5 the forkedmember 14 is provided with a rod 14 adapted to extend through a suitableaperture in the member 10 whereby the said forked member 14 is rotatablerelatively to the member 10 about the axis of the rod 14. Any suitablemeans may be provided for maintaining the rod 14-. against removal fromthe aperture 1n the member 10 as for instance a cotter pm14 extendingthrough said 'rod 14 a suitable Washer 14 being in this case preferablylocated between said cotter pin 14 and the member 10 to take up wear. In'order to prevent the forked member 14 from rotating relatively to themember 10' when this is desired, I have provided the member 10 and themember 14: respectively with lugs 10 and 14 having registering.apertures adapted to accommodate bolts 16 held against removal therefromby nuts 17. It will readily be seen that, when the bolts 16 are inoperative position in the lugs 10 and 14, the member 143 is rigidlyconnected with the member 10 and is incapable of any rotative movementrelatively thereto. It will-be understood that this is only an exampleand that'other means may be used for accomplishing the same result.

When an axle has become broken, wheel damaged or any other emergencyrequires the use of my device, the member 10 is placed beneath thevehicle spring 18 nearest the seat of trouble, in such a manner thatsaid member 10 straddlesthe axle l9 and V the flanges 11 engage thespring 18 at points on opposite sides of said axle and substantiallyequidistant therefrom. The flanges 11 are of suflicient width so as toextend transversely beyond the spring 18 at opposite sides and areprovided with apertures for the accommodation of bolts 20. These bolts20 are adapted to extend through suitable apertures in clamping plates-21 arranged to engage the upper surface of the spring 18 and arescrew-threaded to receive nuts 22, the apertures in the flanges 11 andclamping plates 21. being so located that the bolts 20 will extend alongand preferably in contact with the opposite side surfaces of the spring18. It will readily be seen that, with this arrangement,'the member 10may be securely attached to the spring 18 and the emergency gear rigidlyfastened in posiand thepressure of theclamping plates 21 upon saidspring 18 prevent any shifting of said gear in the direction of thelength of said spring 18. The curved surfaces 12 perrunning gear andpermits the vehicle to be mit what might be termed a rocking movement ofthe emergency gear, which thus does not interfere with the resilientaction of said spring under the influence of shocks or jars. Thedistance between the lowermost.

point on the periphery of the wheel 13 and the curved surfaces 12 is sodetermined that the vehicle will be evenly supported when the emergencygear is attached to a spring 18. By attaching the emergency gear to thespring 18 as described, strains are substantially removed from thebroken aXle or from an axle from which a damaged Wheel has been removedand said emergency gear serves as a perfect substitute for the usualreadily propelled to its destination or to a repair shop with nodiscomfort to the occupants and with a minimum of strain upon thedamaged portion of said vehicle.

My improved emergency gear 'may be readily carried about in the vehicleso as to be at all times available for use and may be readily attachedin operative position when necessary. 7

By removing the bolts 16 from the lugs 10 and 14 to permit the member 14and Wheel 13 to rotate about the axis of the rod l4 relatively to themember 10, this form of my device is adapted particularly for use incase an accident has happened to the front axle or to a front orsteering wheel. In such case the said member 14- may be connected withthe usual steering gear in any convenient manner so that the wheel 13may be manipulated to properly steer the vehicle. When the members 10and 14* are rigidly connected the device operates in the same way as theform shown in Fig. 2 and in this condition is best adapted for use atthe rear of the vehicle. The form of myimprove ment shown in Figs. 4 and5 may, therefore, be used at the front or at the rear of the vehiclewith equally efiicient results.

It is, of course, to be understood that while the form of my inventionshown in Figs.- 2 and 3 may be used to best advantage at the rear of thevehicle or in connection with the driving axle, the same is also capableof use in an emergency at the front of said vehicle.

To permit either form of my device to be readily attached to vehicles inwhich stay rods are used the legs of the members 10 'may be providedwith recesses 10 for the accommodation Ofsaid stay rodswhich usuallyextend from the rear axle to somepart of the chass1s or body of thevehicle, it being obvious that the device may beso .con-

structed and proportioned as to be capable Various changes in thespecific forms shown and described may be made within the scope of theclaims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: r.

1. An emergency running gear for vehicles comprising upwardly divergingrigid arms, flanges on said arms having curved bearing surfaces adaptedto engage the lower surface of the vehicle spring, means for detachablyconnecting said flanges to said spring whereby said running gear issecured in operative position, and a wheel carried by said arms.

2. An emergency running gear for vehicles comprising an uprightsubstantially U-shaped rigid support located beneath and in engagementwith the vehicle spring at spaced intervals, means for detachablyconnecting said support to said spring, a downwardly open forked memberdepending from said support and a wheel journaled in said support.

3. An emergency running gear for vehicles comprising an uprightsubstantially U-shaped rigid support located beneath and in engagementwith the vehicle spring at spaced intervals, said support having abearing surface at its lower end, a downwardly open forked member havinga complementary bearing surface at its upper end, a connection forpivotally connecting said support and forked member together and a Wheeljournaled in said forked member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

' RUDOLPH F. MEINERS. Witnesses:

JOHN A. KEHLENBECK, PETER M. FERNANDEZ.

